A blog dealing with either the joy of cinema or the agony of cinema--nothing in between.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

13 Assassins

After the feudal period in Japan and during a time of peace, a brutally sadistic and powerful lord threatens the prosperity. To prevent his ascension, a group of samurai unite on a suicide mission to take on the lord's mighty army as the transport him to an impenetrable location. "13 Assassins" is a spectacular film from respected director Takashi Miike and the first film of his I've seen. After a quiet buildup where we witness the atrocities of the reprehensible lord and the roundup of the assassins, an extended and incredible action scene takes place which will consume the second half of the film, commenced by an extraordinary segment where three flaming bulls charge the massive army. It is quite an extraordinary and ambitious sequence and is handled exceedingly well with fluid editing and wonderful cinematography. "13 Assassins" is an exhilarating work and the kind of film that makes you want to seek out the other films by the director.